Melbourne, the second largest city in Australia is the pivotal center for food, coffee, style, sport and adventure. Surrounded by world-class wineries, spectacular coastlines and alpine villages, Melbourne is much more than its high-rise buildings and coffee shops.
Direct flights are available each week from Los Angeles to Melbourne and it takes about 16 hours to get there from Los Angeles.
Thinking about taking a trip to Melbourne Australia?
Here are 5 things to do in Melbourne:
1. City Circle Free Tourist Tram
Start off your visit by taking the Free Tourist Tram or the City Circle –route number 35. The City Circle travels around the perimeter of the city center passing by major attractions, shops, malls and restaurants. Places of interest include Victoria Harbour in Docklands, Queen Victoria Market and Flinders Street Station.
It takes about 48 minutes to complete a loop, either clockwise or anti-clockwise. Trams are available daily and run in both directions every 12 minutes. The clockwise route will take you to Flinders Street, Harbour Esplanade, Docklands Drive (Waterfront City), La Trobe Street, Victoria Street, Fitzroy, Spring Street and back to Flinders.
Use the tram as a hop-on-hop-off transportation service when visiting Melbourne. Make sure you check out Queens Victoria Market.
Visit the southern hemisphere’s highest public observation deck and get panoramic views of Melbourne. The Eureka Skydeck on 88th floor is 935 feet above sea level. Get your adrenaline pumping and face your fear of heights (if you are afraid of heights) at the Edge – a glass cube on the 88th floor with glass walls, ceiling and floor.
Another way to enjoy the spectacular views of Melbourne is to dine at Eureka 89. You’ll have a chance to catch the sunset view if you book an early dinner. Check with the restaurant on the best times for a dinner with a sunset view.
3. Yarra Valley Wine Region
Take a one-hour scenic drive from Melbourne to Yarra Valley Wine Region, one of the top wine regions in Australia. The area is perfect for a day trip for wine tasting, fine dining and visiting quaint villages. Yarra Valley is also popular for nature and art lovers.
Yarra Valley is surrounded by Yarra River and close to Yarra Valley National Park. Visitors have three routes to choose from. Here is a list from Wine Yarra Valley:
Melba Highway
Maroondah Highway
Warburton Highway
Some of the wineries to visit: Domaine Chandon, TarraWarra Estate, De Bortoli, Oakridge Winery and more. Here is a video about winemaking in Yarra Valley:
Hot air ballooning and craft beer tasting are two other highlights of Yarra Valley.
4. Phillip Island
Phillip Island is located 86 miles from Melbourne. It is accessible by car or bus. You can either join a guided tour or rent a car and take a road trip on your own to the island via the bridge from San Remo on the mainland. Another route would be the ferry from Stony Point on the Mornington Peninsula to Cowes on Phillip Island.
The top attraction here is the sunset penguin parade. Other attractions include Churchill Island Heritage Farm, Koala Conservation Centre, Maru Koala and Animal Park and Wildlife Coast Cruises. In fact, Phillip Island is one of the best places in Australia to have a face to face encounter with koalas in their natural habitat. You can stroll through eucalyptus trees and spot koalas and other animals like wallabies and possums too.
For the most spectacular drive outside of Melbourne, take the Great Ocean Road. This coastal scenic drive will take you to 12 Apostles, waterfalls, villages, surf towns and more. It only takes about 10 hours to drive on this 413 miles scenic road but a 3-day self-drive is highly recommended. Start at Torquay and end in Port Fairy.
